The Birth Story

Well, let's see...I guess it really starts Friday night.

Ian and I were determined to meet this little girl and we were getting impatient. It was a beautiful evening and when Ian got home from work we had dinner outside and watched the Alpacas run in the field. After dinner E decided that he was going to start mowing the lawn and get at least half done so that he could finish the rest in the morning. I decided I was going to do some walking to get this baby thing going.

As he mowed I walked the length of the pastures with the alpacas, back and forth, back and forth, at a pretty good pace. As Ian was finishing up for the night he kept telling me we were going to go out on the 4 wheeler for a nice bumpy ride. He continued to mow, I continued to walk. Then I headed for the trampoline, climbed on up and did some stretching.

He finished the lawn, helped me off the trampoline, lol, and we headed for the 4 wheeler. I made him promise to go slow and thought we'd just do a short little ride around the property. Boy was I wrong! He did go slow and was very safe but we were out for over an hour! We went all through a bunch of trails, I was scared to death at some points and begging him to go home, lol.

We got back home and relaxed for a bit then headed off to bed.

Had a perfect nights sleep.

Woke up around 6am to go pee and had a little bit of a bloody discharge. (Thinking FINALLY! Something! A sign that I will indeed have this baby someday) Told Ian and climbed back into bed for about a half hour.

Ian didn't have to be to work until noon, so we got up at 7am and started the day hoping to get some stuff done before he had to get ready for work. First on the agenda was heading to the lumber store for more supplies for the deck.

At 7:22am, before we left, I had my first contraction. I didn't really think anything of it since it only lasted about 30 seconds and I hadn't had any Braxton Hicks, so I just figured it was that.

So we hop in the truck and head to town...

7:41am, I'm on the 3rd contraction, so I decided to tell Ian I might be having contractions. He immediately lights up and says with the biggest eyes I've ever seen "WHAT?!"

At this point we are heading to the lumber store and we have almost no gas in the truck..Ian starts freaking out. I tell him I'm fine, we can still go to the store and I'll see how I feel when I get home...I mean I still have to take a shower, we're not going anywhere until I shower, lol.

He says we better get gas first..."just in case" lol. The whole way he is timing me and taking notes on my contraction like symptoms.

We get the lumber (I had a big one while they were loading the truck)

Head back to the house...they're still coming, about every 10 minutes and lasting only 30-40 seconds.

Ian is still getting nervous. I tell him I'm going to take a shower and see if they're still coming and if they are I'll call the doctor after. I told him to relax, I was sure this was nothing. SO I went to shower and he finished mowing the lawn and unloading the lumber.

After my shower they were still coming, I wasn't in any pain I could just kind of feel them. Still ever 10 or so minutes and lasting 30 seconds.

I call the doctor and she says, why don't you go into the hospital and get checked, they'll page me when you get there.

Ok.

We get all our stuff ready and head out.

I continue to tell Ian that this is not the real thing and they will probably just send us home. "I wonder how long this will take. I'm starving. I didn't get to eat breakfast yet."

Ian finally convinces me to eat something before we go in so we made a quick stop at the Dunkin donuts drive thru. They totally screw up the order and I got some thing I didn't order...oh well, I ate a little and we continued on our way.

We get to the hospital at 10:45am.

They check me...1cm, posterior, cervix thin, but the nurse doesn't think it's going to be my day. She suggests we walk for about an hour or two and she'll check me again...so we walk.

Nurse comes back and hooks me back up to the monitors...contractions stop...

She tells us they're probably going to send me home, but she'll give me another hour if I want to walk some more before she checks me. We agree and head back to the halls again...

I'll have to add the times later, from Ian's phone since he texted after every check.

Back to the monitors and let's get checked...The look of surprise on the nurses face was priceless. She totally thought we'd be going home...but no. We were 2-3cm, Very thin, and no longer posterior. "You're staying!"

I couldn't believe it!

We convince the nurses to move us down to the big suite at the end of the hall, since the room we were in was TINY!

They came and got blood and were ready to start the IV (aka my worst fear). I convince the nurse to hold off until we get to the other room, she agrees and meets me down there. Then I convinced her to let me walk for a little bit...she says ok, but not to long we have to do the IV.

I come back and we fight through the IV, I'm screaming and bawling my eyes out, she has to do it twice and I cry like a crazy person. Finally it's in.

Awhile later she checks me again...3cm, fully effaced!

The Doctor decided to get me started on Pitocin to open me up...we agree that we should get the epidural (aka my other worst fear) at the same time so that I'm not in pain from the pitocin contractions. I hadn't really been in pain upto this point, still. I again convince the nurse to let me walk with my IV pole for a little bit, thus avoiding the much feared epidural. She agrees but only 10 minutes! Ok, ok.

Back for the epidural, the anesthesiologist is waiting at my room for me. Let's get started...they make everyone leave the room (At this point, we're only supposed to have 2 people in the room and we're now up to 5, lol. My parents and Ian's parents were there.)

Sitting on the bed getting ready for the epi, I almost backed out. I was that scared! Literally, a heartbeat away from just saying forget it I can't do this! I bite my lip and we get started...

It was EASY!!! Piece of cake! I love this man! I barely felt a thing! The IV was a MILLION times worse! I could do the epi again easily, no fear...WOW.

It's about 5:30pm

So the pitocin and epi are started and I'm very comfortable. They check me again...5cm. Up the pitocin, they're wasting no time here...

Ian's dad tells me that I need to have her by 6pm, lol. I tell him he's insane!

6:34pm...checked again, 9cm! OMG!!!

The contractions got much worse and the epi man had to come back and give me an extra boost. The room becomes chaos while they prepare everything for delivery, kick out all my extra spectators, and go over the cord blood banking instructions one last time.

Before I know it we are pushing, it's 7pm.

With a couple of pushes and alot of encouragement from Ian, my mom, 2 nurses and 2 doctors...Samantha Lee entered the world at 7:27pm!

Only 25 minutes of pushing!

She gave us a little scare when her head came down, her heart rate dropped and the doctor threatened surgery if I didn't push her out now! It was stressful and hard...but heck, it was only 25 minutes!!! So worth it! I never knew 25 minutes could feel like hours, lol. I can't imagine those who have to push for hours...it's hard work.

Unfortunately I had to have the episiotomy to get her little melon out fast enough, but I'm feeling better now...and again, it was SO worth it! Every stitch! lol.